Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
name	Getafe
settlement type	Municipality
official name
native name
image shield	Escudo de Getafe.svg
pushpin map	Spain
pushpin map caption	Location in Spain
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name
subdivision type1	Autonomous community
subdivision name1
subdivision type2	Province
subdivision name2	Madrid
subdivision type3	Comarca
subdivision name3	Madrid metropolitan area
subdivision type4	Judicial district
subdivision name4	Getafe
seat type
coordinates type	region:ES_type:city
coordinates display	inline,title
elevation m	622
elevation min m	540
elevation max m	704
area total km2	78.74
established title	Founded
established date	Around 1326
population total	167164
population as of	January, 1st, 2009
population demonym	Getafense
population density km2	auto
blank name sec1	Official language(s)
timezone	CET
utc offset	+1
timezone dst	CEST
utc offset dst	+2
postal code type	Postal code
postal code	28901-28909
area code type	Dialing code
area code	916
leader title	Alcalde
leader name	Juan Soler-Espiauba Gallo (2011)
leader party	PP
website
footnotes	}}

Getafe () is a city in the southern zone of the Madrid metropolitan area, Spain, and one of the most populated and industrialized cities in the municipality. The city is home to one of the oldest Spanish military air bases, as well as the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Also located within the city is the Cerro de los Ángeles, or ''Hill of the Angels'', a site considered to be the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula. The city is located 13 km south of Madrid's city centre, within the metro area. It is situated within a flat area of Spain's Meseta Central in the Manzanares River basin.

Getafe's proximity to Madrid fostered industrial development during the 20th and 21st centuries. The industrialization of Getafe led to an increase in population to 159,300 (as of December 2007). Due to its industrial and social networks, the majority of residents work or study within the city, transforming it into a commuter town. The increase in population led to the construction of numerous access roads, an increase in available public services, and the creation of new neighborhoods at the end of the 20th century.

Etymology

During the Middle Ages, a number of villages were located in the present-day area of Getafe. One of the main villages was Alarnes, which was very close to the current urban center. In 1326, the villagers united themselves into one city, situated on the royal road that linked Madrid with Toledo. This new city was called ''Xatafi,'' a name which came from the Arab word ''jata'' ("something long"). It is assumed that the name ''Xatafi'' referred to the royal road, which also served as the town's main street. The city's name evolved over time, from ''Xetafe'' to ''Jetafee'' to ''Jetaphe'' to ''Jetafe'' to ''Getafe.''

History

The history of Getafe can be split into three clearly defined eras. In the first era, which lasted from Prehistory until 1326, there existed distinct civilizations and villages in the area, though Getafe itself did not exist as a municipality. The second era lasts from the 14th century until the 20th century, during which Getafe is established as a town and develops slowly. In the third era, which began in the 20th century and continues to the present day, Getafe changes in natures from small agriculture town to a large industrial city, with a noticeable increase in commerce, industry, population, and city size.

Origins

The presence of humans in the area of Getafe dates back to the Lower Paleolithic period (before 100,000 BCE). Various stone tools, pots, and bracelets from this period have been excavated from the banks of the Manzanares River.

The Romans dominated the Iberian Peninsula from the 2nd century BCE until the 5th century. In the 3rd century, the Romans constructed a villa called La Torecilla, whose ruins are still visible on the banks of the Manzanares River. The area was subsequently overrun by a series of Germanic tribes, including Suebi, Vandals and Visigoths, and the Indoeuropean Alans.

The area currently encompassed by the Getafe municipal district was invaded by the Moors in the 8th century. King Alfonso VI conquered the villages of the area in 1085. In 1326, the inhabitants of the villages moved closer to the royal road connecting Madrid and Toledo, in effect creating a new village, Getafe. In that same century, the primitive hermitage of la Magdalena was built, only to be destroyed several centuries later.

Modern age

In 1492, famine and disease devastated in Getafe, prompting the construction of the Hospitalillo de San José in 1529. In 1549, the architect Alonso de Covarrubias began building the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Magdalena, which has since become the Cathedral of the Diocese of Getafe. The church was built on the foundation of the old hermitage, and in 1610 a new hermitage was built on the Cerro de los Ángeles. The college of the Escuelas Pías was founded in 1737. In 1763, King Charles III ordered the construction of a new road connecting Aranjuez to Cádiz, which passed along the foot of the Cerro de los Ángeles. Napoleanic troops occupied Getafe from 1808 to 1812. A trolley route connecting Madrid to Aranjuez, and passing through Getafe, was inaugurated in 1851.

Contemporary age

Electric street lights were lit for the first time in Getafe on 22 December 1897. The Getafe Air Force Base was permanently established in 1911, followed by the School of Civil Aviation two years later. King Alfonso XIII inaugurated the first monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Cerro de los Ángeles on 30 May 1919. In 1924, Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. built its first factory in the area. That same year, Juan de la Cierva's autogyro was flown for the first time from the air force base.

Due to its proximity to Madrid, Getafe underwent a large industrial revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, resulting in the city's conversion from agricultural city to industrial commuter town. Industrialization also prompted a rapid boom in population, starting in the 1950s. In 1956, John Deere established a factory in Getafe, and a year later, Siemens AG followed suit. The city was forced to create the neighborhoods of San Isidro, El Bercial, Juan de la Cierva, and Las Margaritas in the 1970s in order to support these new industries.

In 1961, the Canal de Isabel II began to provide water to Getafe. The first local democratic elections occurred in 1979, after the ratification of the Constitution in 1978. In 1989, the Universidad Carlos III was founded. The Sector III neighborhood was constructed between 1979 and 1988; the Getafe Norte neighborhood was built during the late 1990s. The El Bercial neighborhood is currently being expanded. In April 2003, Madrid Metro System's Line 12 opened, linking the southern cities with the capital.

Heraldry

The coat of arms of Getafe is divided vertically into two equal halves that represent the two most important characteristics of the municipal district. The left half contains a heart in the center of a Latin cross, representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus -- a reference to the Cerro de los Ángeles. The right half contains a repeated pattern of airplanes representing the aeronautical tradition of the area and referencing the nearby Air Force Base. The Royal Spanish Crown tops the coat of arms, and symbolizes Getafe's loyalty to the Spanish monarchy.

Politics and government

The current mayor of Getafe is Juan Soler-Espiauba Gallo, of the People's Party (PP), who has held this post since 1983. The most popular political parties in the area, other than the PSOE, are the Peoples' Party (PP) and the United Left (IU). Getafe has always had a large working population, and left-wing groups, especially the PSOE, have traditionally been very influential.

In the 2007 Spanish regional elections, the PSOE elected 13 town councillors (44.18% of the vote), PP, 11 (36.09%), and IU 3, (11.73%). Other political associations were not able to muster enough votes to receive representation. Local elections occur every four years, along with the autonomous election. The next elections will be held in 2011.

Cabinet meetings are composed of nine councillors: seven from the PSOE and two from IUS. The Municipal Corporation is made up of 27 members, detailed previously. The cabinet is presided over by the mayor. The Getafe city council is divided into a number of different focus groups: treasury, wealth, and social security; urbanism; civil action; and management of waste disposal, cleanliness, the environment, and the home. The council holds sessions every month, in addition to frequently held special sessions, in which councillors debate various topics and problems which affect the municipality.

Getafe is at the forefront of the struggle for workers rights in local industry. The most important labor unions in the city are the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). Both unions have branch offices in Getafe and list many local workers as members.

Geography

Physical Location

Getafe is located in the southern zone of the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain, in southwestern Europe. It is physically located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, north of the Southern Submeseta (part of the Meseta Central), in the Manzanares River basin. Its elevation is 610 – 640 meters above sea level (2000–2100 feet). Its coordinates are 40° 18' N 3° 43' W. The municipal district is 78.74 km², with a perimeter of 46.5 km. The eastern-most part of the municipal district is located within the Parque Regional del Sureste, a protected forest region.

Distances

Due to its central location within the Iberian Peninsula, Getafe is no more than 725.6 km from any Spanish provincial capital in mainland Spain. The following are the distances to a few major cities, the oceans which surround the Spanish coasts, and the national borders of Portugal and France. {| |- style="vertical-align: top;" |

Puerta del Sol of Madrid: 13 km

Toledo: 59 km (capital of the nearest province other than Madrid)

Girona: 725,6 km (capital of the furthest province)

Center of Leganés (adjacent province): 4,3 km

Fuenlabrada (adjacent province): 7,5 km

Parla (adjacent province): 8 km

|    |

Mediterranean Sea (Valencia): 348 km

Bay of Biscay (Santander): 398 km

Atlantic Ocean (Cádiz): 640 km

Portuguese Border: 402 km

French Border: 510 km

|}

Relief

The municipal district is mostly flat, with a minor inclination of 5% to the east and an elevation of 631 m (2070 ft) above sea level. The lowest altitude can be found to the extreme east, at the Manzanares River at 540 m (1772 ft). The highest elevation is found on the extreme west, on Buenavista, a 704 m (2310 ft) hill which sits on the border between the municipalities of Getafe and Leganés, some 12 km South of Madrid. The hilliest area, the hills of the Marañosa, is located in the Southeast and has a maximum elevation of 698 m (2290 ft). In the center of Getafe is the Cerro de los Ángeles, or ''hill of angels'' (670 m; 2198 ft). Pine forests have been planted at the feet of these hills to deter the erosion of the soil.

Hydrology

A number of rivers and other natural waterways pass through Getafe. 9.5 km of the Manzanares River passes through the eastern-most parts of the municipal district. In the South, 16.5 km of the Culebro Waterway winds its way across Getafe, and in the Southeast 2 km of the Filipinas gully descent from the hills of the Marañosa. There are two man-made canals, one on each side of the Manzanares River. These parallel canals provide water for cultivated land further from the river.

The lakes of Perals are 2 km East of the Cerro de los Ángeles, and are some of the only undisturbed natural lakes left in the region. For this reason, the lakes are part of a protected area to preserve their natural state.

The Culebra waterway and the Filipinas gully boast heavy water flow during the winter and little to none during the summer. In contrast, the Manzanares carries water year round. For that reason, Getafe is considered to be within the Manzanares river basin, except for a small portion in the southeast which is part of the Jarama river basin.

Borders

The city of Getafe borders the following municipal districts: to the North, Villaverde and Vallecas; to the East, Rivas Vaciamadrid; to the Southeast, San Martín de la Vega; to the South, Pinto; to the Southwest, Fuenlabrada; to the West, Leganés.

	width ="30%" align="center"

Climate

The climate of Getafe is continental Mediterranean and is influenced by urban conditions. Winters are cool, with temperatures dropping below 8°C (46.4°F) during the day, and frequently below 0°C (32°F) at night. Getafe averages three to four snowfalls per year. Summers are very hot, with median temperatures above 24°C (75.2°F) in July and August, and with maximum temperatures which often reach 35°C (95°F). Daily temperatures oscillate within range of 10°C (18°F).

Precipitations are regularly distributed throughout the year, excluding the dry summer months. The rainiest month is November, with 56.48 mm (2.22 in) of rainfall, and the driest month is July, with only 8.21 mm (0.323 in). Average yearly precipitation is around 445 mm (17.52 in).

One of the major problems of Getafe's climate is air pollution, which increases noticeably when the wind blows South or Southeast. The average annual temperature is 14°C, with the highest temperature on record listed at 41.6°C (106.8°F) on 24 July 1994, and the lowest temperature recorded at -12°C (10.4°F) on 5 February 1963. The average relative humidity is 71%, average pressure is 1,015.8 millibars, average number of daylight hours per year is 2,811, and the winds blow predominantly from the northeast.

Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes, never occur in Getafe thanks to its climate and geography. One common problem in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula is drought, which occurs whenever precipitation ceases during various months.

width="50pt" align="center" align="center" align="center"

+ Observatory at the Getafe Air Force Base
1948-1988 !! January !! February !! March !! April !! May !! June !! July !! August !! September !! October !! November !! December !! ''TOTAL / AVG''
Max. temp. (°C)	9.9	11.6||	15.2	18.3	22.9	27.8	32.5	31.2	26.8	20.4	13.9	10.0	''20.0''
Min. temp. (°C)	1.2||	1.7	4.2	6.3	10.1	14.0	17.5	16.9	13.7	9.3	4.4	1.7	''8.4''
Precipitation (mm)	40||	49	47	50	42	27	6	15	33	37	52	47	''445''

Flora and Fauna

The native vegetation of Getafe is characteristic of the mediterranean forest biome, consisting mostly of holm and cork oaks. Native flowering plants include those of the genus ''Cistus'' and the common broom (''Cytisus scoparius''), though these species are not abundant. This native forest and underbrush only occupies 16% of the surface of the municipal territory, mostly in the hills of the Marañosa and further east. The shores of the Manzanares River and Culebro Waterway contain deciduous trees and reeds.

Most undeveloped land is devoted to the cultivation of cereals (mostly wheat), and, to a lesser extent, to gardens in the fertile lowlands of the Manzanares river. Some areas have been reforested with stone pines (''Pinus pinea'') and aleppo pines (''Pinus halepensis''). These areas include the Cerro de los Ángeles, the Prado Acedinos, part of the hills of the Marañosa, and part of the park in the Sector III neighborhood. Common trees in the parks and streets of the city are the horse chestnut (''Aesculus hippocastanum''), the acacia, the elm (''Ulmus minor''), and the stone pine. Other less common trees include cedars, cypress, aleppo pines, plum trees, poplars, fir trees, and palm trees.

A significant population of small birds live within the city proper, including sparrows and pigeons. Larger birds, rabbits, foxes, wild boars, and weasels can be found in the more easterly parts of the municipality. The world's largest population of the common kestrel can be found in the Perales del Río neighborhood.

Town Planning

The urban portions of Getafe are organized in an almost longitudinal manner, from northeast to southwest. Thus, the elongated shape of Getafe today is due primarily to the close proximity of the Getafe Air Force Base, which impedes city growth to the southeast. The most important streets of the city are Calle Madrid and Calle Toledo. These two roads are pedestrian through the center of Getafe, and are part of what was a royal road connecting Madrid and Toledo during the Middle Ages. Getafe has other important streets and avenues organizing its neighborhoods, such as the Avenida de España, Avenida de Los Ángeles, Avenida de las Ciudades, Avenida Juan Carlos I, and Calle Ferrocarril.

The popular architectural style in Getafe is generally characterized by two story buildings with tile roofs, various small balconies on the second floor, and a bare brick façade. These types of houses can be found in the Getafe Centro neighborhood, though their numbers are decreasing as existing houses are vacated and demolished to make room for new townhouse developments. The average height of buildings in Getafe is five floors, approximately 17 meters. This peculiarity is due to the proximity of the Getafe Air Force Base, which places limits on the height of buildings. Few buildings in Getafe surpass eight stories in height. Due to the developmental limitations imposed by the Air Force Base and the municipality borders, the city's parks and green spaces are important conservation areas. Two of the largest parks are located within the Sector III and La Alhóndiga neighborhoods. These green zones include an artificial lake and river, two pine forests, and a number of hiking trails. The parks cover an area approximately the size of Getafe Centro, and make up the western part of the urban center, separated from the east by the A-42. A series of parks of various sizes are located within the city proper. Outside of the city are two pine forests with picnic areas, fountains, and kiosks.

Getafe's urban center is undergoing various expansions of its urban center. One of these is the construction and establishment of the El Bercial neighborhood. This expansion of El Bercial will quadruple the size of the neighborhood and will allow the city to expand to the northeast, linking El Bercial to the urban center. The Los Olivos industrial park is expanding eastward, while at the same time, the Perales del Río neighborhood grows westward, bringing these two neighborhoods closer together. The Área Tecnológica del Sur is being constructed in the southern parts of the municipal district, along the M-50. The Área will be an area dedicated to a number of exposition halls and areas for new industrial development.

Getafe township has a number of projects underway to expand urban areas. One of these projects is expanding the Sector III neighborhood by constructing housing at the feel of Buenavista hill. Another project involves creating a residential neighborhood called Los Molinos, located east of Getafe Norte and north of the Los Ángeles industrial park. A third project calls for the construction of a university, the ''Universidad Politécnica de Getafe'', which will include three departments and a central building.

Administrative division

Prior to the 20th century, Getafe had only one neighborhood, which encompassed the modern Getafe Centro and La Alhóndiga neighborhoods. The Perales del Río neighborhood is also one of the oldest neighborhoods in the municipality, dating from approximately the 17th century. Since the 1960s, a population boom prompted the creation of new neighborhoods, such as those of San Isidro, Juan de la Cierva, Las Margaritas, and El Bercial. In the 1980s, the Sector III neighborhood was built and the Perales del Río was significantly expanded. During the following decade, the Getafe Norte neighborhood was built. Today, Getafe is divided into nine neighborhoods and five industrial parks.

;Getafe Centro: The oldest neighborhood in the Getafe municipality, Getafe Centro includes the city center. It maintains an authentic, traditional, and commercial ambience. The most populous neighborhood in Getafe, it includes a large number of pedestrian streets. Town hall, the cathedral, the Colegio de Escuelas Pías, and the Hospitalillo de San José are all located within this neighborhood. ;El Bercial: El Bercial is a small neighborhood isolated from the city center and merged with the industrial park Leganés. Dating from the 1970s, the neighborhood is currently experiencing significant growth. ;Getafe Norte: Constructed in the 1990s, Getafe Norte is the northernmost neighborhood in the city and contains the football stadium Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. ;Juan de la Cierva: Juan de la Cierva is a centrally located commercial neighborhood named after the famous engineer Juan de la Cierva. Dating back to the 1970s, the neighborhood is the second-most populous of Getafe. ;La Alhóndiga: One of the oldest and most authentic neighborhoods of Getafe, La Alhóndiga is located west of Getafe Centro, alongside the autovía A-42 and the University Hospital of Getafe. ;Las Margaritas: Las Margaritas is a small neighborhood located next to the Universidad Carlos III and its residence halls. It dates back to the 1970s, and is home to an important sports center. ;Perales del Río: Perales del Río is the neighborhood located furthest from the city center. It is located alongside the Manzanares River in the extreme east of the Getafe municipality. One of the oldest neighborhoods, it is experiencing continuous growth. ;San Isidro: San Isidro is located south of the city center, and includes an importance sports center and large parks. It dates back to the 1970s. ;Sector III: The Sector III neighborhood consists primarily of single family homes and living areas. It is the largest neighborhood in the municipality, and the third most populous. Built in the 1980s, it was expanded in 1997 to include a new development called Arroyo Culebro. The Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Getafe is here. ;Five industrial parks: The five industrial parks are spread out across the peripherals of the city. The eastern areas include Los Ángeles, San Marcos, and Los Olivos parks. Parks south of the city limits include El Culebro and El Rosón.

Infrastructure

This city has grown substantially in the past decades, which has caused similar growth in the number of infrastructures. Some of the more notable of these are:

The Humanities and Judicial Sciences faculties and the academic rector of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. These installations are in the central neighborhood of Las Margaritas.

The student residence halls "Fernando de los Ríos," situated 500 meters from the university in the same neighborhood.

The University Hospital of Getafe, famous for its burn unit. It is adjacent to the A-42, and is one of the largest hospitals in the Southern region of the autonomous community of Madrid.

The Getafe Air Force Base, one of the first in Spain. It's located Southeast of the urban center, and it is almost exclusively for military use. Construcciones Aeronáuticas, a Spanish aircraft manufacturer, also uses the base.

The ''Teatro Federico García Lorca'', a large cultural center located in the Getafe Centro neighborhood. It was constructed during the 1990s and produces a large number of cultural performances.

The Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, the soccer stadium for Getafe CF, is located in the Getafe Norte neighborhood. Inaugurated in 1998, the stadium has a seating capacity of 14,400.

The ''Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Getafe'', located in the Sector III neighborhood. It is the only public musical conservatory in the Southern region of the autonomous community of Madrid.

The Cercanías Madrid C-4 train line has passed underground through Getafe since 2001 to minimize noise and divisions. The old train route has been converted into a park.

The ''Cementerio de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'' (Cemetery of Our Lady of Peace), located South of the Air Force base, which is no longer accepting new clients due to the construction of a new cemetery.

A water purification plant, which purifies the waters of the Manzanares River is located alongside Perales del Río on the outskirts of Getafe. Another purification plant in Southern Getafe cleans the waters of the Culebro waterway.

The bullring, constructed in 2004, is located within the fairgrounds. Bullfights are common here during holidays and festivals.

Seven sports centers and three public pools are located within various neighborhoods.

Fifteen Catholic churches, eleven civic centers, and five public libraries.

Media

The municipality has a number of local newspapers. These include ''El Buzón'' and ''El Iceberg'', which can both be found online and in print, ''El Buzón de Getafe'', ''Observador'', ''Acción Getafense'', ''Vivir en Getafe'', ''Getafe Ahora'', the sports weekly digest ''Zona Sur'', ''Boletín del Ayuntamiento'', ''Getafe al día'', ''Getafe Capital'' and ''Mercado'', among others. The local radio broadcast, ''Radio Getafe'', was absorbed by Cadena COPE (101.8 FM). During the 1990s, the city had its own local television station called ''Tele Getafe''. In addition, there exists even more digital-only media.

Transportation

Roads

Four highways and divided highways pass through Getafe: two beltways (A-42 and A-4) and two highways leading through Madrid (M-45 and M-50). Another two-lane road connects Getafe with Leganés, and two provincial roads lead to Perales del Río. The following is a list of major arteries:

;Highways:

M-45, highway to Madrid. 4 km of this highway is inside Getafe, crossing it from West to East. The road marks the Northern limits of the Getafe Norte and El Bercial neighborhoods.

M-50, highway to Madrid. 13.6 km of this highway run through Getafe, and it crosses the city center West to East. The road marks the Southern limits of the Sector III neighborhood and the Northern limit of the El Culebro industrial park.

;Motorways (Autovías):

A-4, the Highway of the South, previously called the N-IV. 7.25 km of this highway run through Getafe, and it crosses the center North-South. The road separates the Los Ángeles and San Marcos industrial parks from the Los Olivos industrial park and the Cerro de los Ángeles.

A-42, the Toledo Highway, previously called the N-401. 6.13 km of this highway run through Getafe, and it cuts across the center in a North-South orientation. The road separates the Section III and El Bercial neighborhoods from the city center. To lessen the isolation of these neighborhoods, the local government has begun a project to create an underground passage for the A-42 as it crosses through Getafe.

;Other roads:

M-406, two-lane road. Passes through Alcorcón, Leganés and Getafe. Once the M-406 enters Getafe it becomes the Calle Leganés.

M-301, road which exits Villaverde, passes through Perales del Río, and terminates in San Martín de la Vega.

Road from Cerro de los Ángeles to Perales del Río. This road is a continuation of the M-406, and connects central Getafe with Perales del Río.

Public transportation

The Air Force Base is for military use only. As it is, the city center of Getafe is 26 km from Madrid Barajas International Airport, which can be accessed via the M-40.

The city has eight urban bus lines; eight lines connecting Gadafe to Madrid; five lines to the municipalities of Valdemoro, Leganés, Alcorcón, Parla, Serranillos, Casarrubuelos and Griñón; and two night lines to Madrid. These lines are as follows: {| |- style="vertical-align: top;" |

L-1: Sector III - Ambulatorio

L-2: Ambulatorio - Sector III

L-3: El Bercial - Avenida Juan de Borbón

L-4: Hospital - Perales del Río

L-5: Avenida España - Cementerio

428A: Getafe - Área Empresarial Andalucía

Pi-1: Getafe Central - Los Ángeles industrial park - Los Olivos industrial park

Pi-2: Getafe Central - San Marcos industrial park- El Lomo industrial park

411: Madrid (Legazpi station) - Perales del Río

441: Madrid (Atocha) - Getafe (Sector III)

442: Madrid (Atocha) - Getafe (Juan de la Cierva)

443: Madrid (Embajadores) - Getafe (las Margaritas)

|    |

444: Madrid (Embajadores) - Getafe (Sector III)

446: Madrid (Palos de la Frontera) - Getafe (El Bercial)

447: Madrid (Legazpi) - Getafe (Hospital)

448: Madrid (Legazpi) - Getafe (via Villaverde)

428: Getafe - Valdemoro

450: Getafe - Leganés - Alcorcón

455: Getafe - Pinto, 462: Getafe - Parla

468: Getafe - Griñón - Casarrubuelos - Serranillos

488: Leganés (San Nicasio) - Getafe (Los Espartales)

N801: Madrid (Atocha) - Getafe (Sector III - Pórtico de Andalucía)

N805: Madrid (Atocha)- Getafe (Centro / Sector III) |}

Two Cercanías Madrid train lines pass through Getafe along a North-South route. These lines are: C-3 (stations: ''El Casar'' and ''Getafe Industrial'') and C-4 (stations: ''Las Margaritas-Universidad'', ''Getafe Centro'', and ''Getafe Sector III''). There are a total of five stations, two of which connect to the Madrid metro system.

Since April 2003, Getafe contains eight stations along the Madrid metro Line 12. These stations are: ''El Bercial'', ''Los Espartales'', ''El Casar'', ''Juan de la Cierva'', ''Getafe Central'', ''Alonso de Mendoza'', ''Conservatorio'' y ''Arroyo Culebro''. The government of the Community of Madrid is currently planning on expanding Line 3 through the ''El Casar'' station.

Demographics

The population of Getafe, estimated at 159,300 in 2007 by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, is unevenly distributed across a number of neighborhoods: Sector III, San Isidro, Perales del Río, Las Margaritas, La Alhóndiga, Juan de la Cierva, Getafe Norte, El Bercial, and Getafe Central.

The Getafe Centro neighborhood has the most housing, with 12,574 units; the Juan de la Cierva neighborhood is a close second with 12,072 housing units. The least developed in terms of housing are the neighborhoods of Perales del Río and El Bercial, with 1815 and 1820 units respectively, though these numbers are expected to increase shortly due to a number of recently implemented urban initiatives. The most populous neighborhoods are those of Juan de la Cierva (32,925 inhabitants), Getafe Centro (32,160 inhabitants), and Sector III (24,217 inhabitants). 30,000 inhabitants of Getafe are between the ages of 20 and 40, and 24 inhabitants are 100 years old or more (21 women, 3 men). Women out-number men in Getafe, numbering 79,514 women to 78,849 men. The foreign population of Getafe increases every year, and makes up about 13% of the total population. Immigrants generally come from Latin America, eastern Europe, and western Europe. The constant annual growth rate falls between 0.01% and 3.00%, birth rate falls between 0.01% and 8%, and the death rate falls between 4% and 8%. From 1996 to 2002, the growth rate of Getafe fell between 5 and 10%. The median age of inhabitants is less than 22 years. More than 85% of the population consider themselves Catholic, but only 20% of these people are actual active members of Catholic congregations.

The population of Getafe has experienced strong growth during the second half of the 20th century. From the Middle Ages to 1900, the population varied between 2,500 and 6,000 inhabitants. In 1950, the population was 12,254; in 1970, the population was 69,424; in 1977, 124,601. These figures demonstrate the population growth spurt that began in 1960 and continues to the present day. At present, the city's population is generally growing at a continual, moderate rate, at approximately 1,700 people per year. The year 2006 was the first year since the 17th century that the population actually decreased, falling by 2,043 people.

Getafe is listed as the 41st most populous city in Spain, after Salamanca and before Logroño. Within the community of Madrid, Getafe is the 7th most populous city, after Alcorcón and before Torrejón de Ardoz. An inhabitant of Getafe is called ''getafeño'' or ''getafense'', though the latter is more common. The postal codes of the city are: 28901, 28902, 28903, 28904, 28905, 28907, 28909.

Economy

Getafe's economy was historically agricultural. The first factories were built in the area at the beginning of the 20th century, but it wasn't until the second half of the century that industry gained prominence. By the 1960s, industry had become the primary economic focus.

Today, the economy is mostly industrial, with a large focus on Getafe's five industrial parks. After Madrid, Getafe is the most industrialized city in the community of Madrid, with numerous industries such as John Deere, Siemens, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. The city boasts five industrial parks spread across the peripheries of the city. The city's industrial activities are divided across several industries: 34% metallurgy, 20% food processing, 14% wood and furniture production, 6% textile, furs, and skins. The remaining 26% includes various other industries, such as paper production, graphic arts, and construction, among others. A number of quarries are located in the easterly areas of the municipality which are being mined extensively. The service industry began to emerge at the end of the 1990s with the construction of several new malls and entertainment areas. The importance of agriculture on the local economy has decreased significantly in the past century, though eastern parts of the municipality still include good plots of irrigated and nonirrigated land. The major crop is wheat, with smaller cultivations of olive trees, grape vines, and vegetables. Herding and livestock are slowly diminishing, though they can still be found in the vicinity of Buenavista hill and the fields along the Manzanares river.

The median per capita income of the inhabitants of Getafe is 10,000 €, which is lower than the 12,500 € median income of the community of Madrid. The most wealthy neighborhoods are Sector III and Getafe Norte, with a median income of 13,000 €. The poorest neighborhoods are La Alhóndiga, Getafe Centro, and San Isidro, whose median incomes average 9,000 €. In January 2006, the unemployment rate was 8.4%

Main sights

Getafe has a number of monuments and areas of interest pertaining to its history. The most famous and most visited part of Getafe is the Cerro de los Ángeles, but there are other important places, such as the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Magdalena and the Hospitalillo de San José.

Cerro de los Ángeles (''Hill of the Angels'') is a famous hill located near the industrial parks of Getafe. The hills are considered the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. The hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (''Our Lady of the Angels'') and the monument to the Sagrado Corazón (''sacred heart'') are located at the summit. The hill is visible from almost all parts of Getafe.

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Magdalena, the diocesan seat of the southern zone of the community of Madrid. This Renaissance church dating from the 18th century boasts a tower in the mudéjar style and a Baroque altarpiece. Declared an artistic historical monument in 1958, the cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Getafe.

''Hospitalillo de San José''. It is an ancient hospital constructed in 1529 to improve the health of local inhabitants, the Hospitalillo showcases a very Castilian style of architecture with a central patio and chapel.

''Colegio de Escuelas Pías''. Constructed in 1609, the Colegio is the most important religious school in the southern zone of the community of Madrid. This much-visited location can be found in the center of the city. The grounds include a small sports center and a lush park.

Biblioteca Ricardo de la Vega. Built as a prison in 1617, the building was converted to a library in the middle of the 20th century. The building was constructed in a simple style with rectangular floors.

''Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor'', Dating from the 16th century, the church is located in the Perales del Río neighborhood. The church was reconstructed and restored in 2004.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The dean's office and three faculties of the University are located in Getafe. Some of these faculties are currently located in buildings with served as military barracks in the beginning of the 20th century.

Culture

Culture in Getafe is represented by various institutions, such as the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, whose academic rector and three faculties of the humanities and legal sciences are located in Getafe. This university has an award-winning chorus and orchestras which is renowned throughout all of Spain. The Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Getafe (''Professional Conservatory of Music of Getafe''), which was established in 2000, has become the public conservatory for the entire Southern region of the autonomous community of Madrid. The Teatro Auditorio Federico García Lorca (''Theater Auditorium Federico García Lorca''), one of the largest and most important in Southern Madrid, is the setting for a multitude of plays and concerts. In addition to these establishments, Getafe boasts eight civic centers and a chain of public libraries spread across the different neighborhoods of Getafe. The Centro de Poesía José Hierro (''José Hierro Center of Poetry''), a place for the creation and study, is located alongside the library of Sector III. The legacy of the poet José Hierro can be found within this center, along with historical magazines, a photo library, and a video library. In 2005, began a project to construct the ''Museo de la Aviación de Getafe'' (''Getafe Aviation Museum''), which will be designed by the prestigious architect Norman Foster.

Close to 40% of the inhabitants of Getafe come from distinct autonomous communities within Madrid. Many of these groups have created ''Casas Regionales'' (''Regional Houses''), places were people from similar regional backgrounds can meet for cultural activities. Some of the more prominent Casas Regionales are those of Extremadura, Castile-La Mancha, Murcia, Andalusia, and Castile and León. The Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Getafe offers concerts of classical music in its 400-seats concert hall.

Celebrations and holidays

The patron saint's day in Getafe is celebrated 40 days after Easter Sunday, which means that the feast day occurs on a different day each year. The feast day generally falls between mid-May and early June. The feast officially begin on that Saturday, but celebrations generally begin nine days prior, on the day of the Ascension—the day that the Virgin of the Angels descended from the Cerro de los Ángeles.

Nine days after the ascension, the celebrations begin officially. The "sábado de las fiestas" (''Saturday of the festivities''), as it is popularly known, begins with an address in the Plaza de la Constitución, following an explosive display of the concussive effects of co-ordinated firecracker and fireworks barrages in the Calle Jardines. A fair is held during these days on the fairgrounds, political parties set up stalls on the Calle Ferrocarril, and there are a number of cultural activities, including concerts and bull fights. A week after the beginning of festivities, a procession passes through the center of town, during which caramels and trinkets are thrown into the crowds. The festivities end eight days after the opening address.

A number of cultural activities occur during the days of Christmas, such as special Christmas concerts, a large Christmas pageant in the interior patio of the Hospitalillo de San José, and the processions of the Three Wise Men on 5 January. Traditionally Carnivals include cavalcades of disguises and cultural activities. Two to four religious processions occur during Holy Week, originating from various churches and moving through the streets of the city.

Education

Public education in Getafe includes six pre-schools (up to 5 years), 23 elementary schools (until 12 years), and 14 secondary schools. There are few private schools, the most important being: the Piarist schools of religious education; the Colegio Los Ángeles, which educated children from age 1 through their second year of Bachillerato (a specialized educational program of 2 to 4 years after secondary school but before university); Los Aristos, a school with a sports club and covered pool. There are a number of professional development centers located throughout Getafe. Finally, the academic rector of the Universidad Carlos III is located in Getafe, along with three of its humanities and judicial science faculties. Alongside the university is the student housing complex "Fernando de los Ríos."

Gastronomy

The typical gastronomy of Getafe is very similar, if not identical, to that of Madrid. The climate, the local produce, and history have contributed to the development of this varied gastronomy. The dishes most representative of Getafe are the ''cocido madrileño'', tripe ''a la madrileña'', chickpea stew, Spanish omelette, sea bream ''a la madrileña'', red cabbage, and others. In terms of wine, the most prominent are the wines of Madrid. Of these, the most famous are those of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Arganda del Rey, and Navalcarnero.

In the large malls and on the central streets of Getafe, it is possible to find a variety of restaurants. One of the most luxurious and recognized of these is ''Las Moreras'', located between the train station of Las Margaritas-Universidad and the student housing area.

Shopping and entertainment

Getafe is a city for shopping and entertainment; many stores are conveniently situated in the urban center and within various large shopping malls. In Centro, the oldest an most populous neighborhood in Getafe, the area with the most stores and businesses is the intersection between Toledo Street and Madrid Street. These boulevards are mostly pedestrian. Another commercialized central area is the Avenue of Juan de la Cierva. Further away from the center, is another mall called ''Getafe 3'', which is located within the neighborhood Sector III. This complex contains an Auchan (international retail chain), various restaurants, and many clothing and shoe stores. In the neighborhood Getafe Norte is the ''Bulevar'', where there is a Carrefour, many restaurants, seven movie theaters, and numerous clothing stores. The major shopping mall called ''Nassica'' is situated in the Área Tecnológica del Sur, accessible via the M-50. Nassica has electronics and hardware stores, furniture stores, 25 restaurants, a bowling alley, recreational areas, a permanent street market, and 20 cinemas. The newest mall, called ''El Bercial'', can be found in the neighborhood El Bercial. It contains an El Corte Inglés, a Hipercor, and two cafeteria-restaurants. The area known for its nightlife is found in Centro, which contains the most tapas bars and discos in the city.

Despite Getafe's proximity to the highly developed city of Madrid, the Getafe includes two pine forests, which have tables, picnic areas, barbecues, soccer fields, and children's parks. One of these forests is the Prado Acedinos, located the South of the urban center, accessible via exit 16 on the A-42. The other is the Cerro de los Ángeles, accessible via the A-4.

Sports

The major sport in Getafe, much like in the rest of Spain, is football. The local football team is the Getafe CF. On 19 June 2004, the team was promoted to the Spanish first division. On 23 June 2007, the team reached the finals of the Copa del Rey, which were held in the area.

Other popular sports include basketball, tennis, bicycling, and motor sports. During the local festivals every June, the town celebrates the "day of the bicycle" whereupon tens of thousands of locals bike through the streets of Getafe noncompetitively. Another important sports event is the Getafe Marathon, which is held every January and which attracts a large number of athletes.

The city is home to seven sports centers scattered across various neighborhoods. The largest are those of the neighborhoods of San Isidro and Las Margaritas. Getafe also has a skate park, located behind the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Getafe (musical conservatory), and three municipal pools, which can be found in the neighborhoods of Sector III, Getafe Norte, and Perales del Río. The soccer stadium, Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, is located in the neighborhood of Getafe Norte, and can sit 14,400 spectators. In anticipation of the local soccer team's rise to the first division, the public pool in Getafe Norte was expanded to include a training center.

Public health

Getafe has a good public health system. The city has eleven public healthcare facilities throughout the neighborhoods of Juan de la Cierva, Las Margaritas, La Alhóndiga, Getafe Norte, Sector III, El Bercial, and Perales del Río. The University Hospital of Getafe, opened in the 1990s, is the population's principal healthcare facility. The Hospital, located alongside the La Alhóndiga neighborhood, is famous throughout Spain for its care of burn victims. The ''Apanid'', a residential facility specializing in the care of people with Down syndrome, is located on the Prado Acedinos (street), approximately 5 km south of the city center. This facility is the only of its kind in the southern area of the community of Madrid.

Geography

Getafe is home to a number of curiosities and special characteristics rare among other municipalities. Some of these include:

Traditionally, the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula is located in the Cerro de los Ángeles.

The Perales del Río neighborhood boasts the world's largest population of the common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'').

Getafe's antipodal point is in the southeast of the North Island of New Zealand, 15 km southeast of the agricultural town of Dannevirke.

Notable people

Silverio Lanza (Madrid, 1856 - Getafe, 1912), writer. He retired to live in Getafe in 1887.

Lorenzo Silva (Madrid, 1966 - ), writer. He lived in Getafe during three separate periods: 1966 - 1971, 1985–1993, and from 1994 to the present.

Carmen Machi, a Spanish actress.

Alejandro Amenábar (Santiago de Chile, 1972 - ), film director. He interned at the Colegio La Inmaculada de Los Padres Escolapios de Getafe.

Alfonso Pérez Muñoz (Madrid, 1972 - ), former football player for Betis, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and for the Spanish national football team. He was born in Madrid and grew up in Getafe.

Víctor Sánchez del Amo (Madrid, 1976 - ), football player for Elche CF. He lived in Getafe for a short while.

Rubén Montesinos, a Spanish Taekwondo athlete who wins the 2005 World Taekwondo Championships in Heavyweight.

Roberto García Parrondo, a left-handed, professional team handball player on the Spain national handball team.

Francisco Pavón, a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Real Zaragoza, as a central defender, and in the past played for Real Madrid.

Víctor Sánchez, a Spanish football right midfielder, currently unattached.

Sister cities

Getafe is an active participant in the European Union's town twinning initiative. It currently has three sister cities:

Jetafe, Philippines, since 16 November 1990. Daïra of Djrafia, Western Sahara, since 11 June 1991 Guanabacoa, Cuba, since 16 November 1996.

Panoramic views

See also

Madrid Metropolitan Area

Autonomous Community of Madrid

Getafe Air Force Base

Roman Catholic Diocese of Getafe

Cerro de los Ángeles

Getafe CF

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

Acción Getafense (2002). ''Getafe-Jetafe: historia de un hermanamiento''. Getafe: Colectivo Histórico, Artístico, Cultural y Deportivo (Acción Getafense). ISBN 84-404-8526-3

Antolínez Merchán, María del Pilar; Ballesteros Romero, Emilio; Jiménez Gómez, María Montserrat (2001). ''Getafe: una visión general de su tejido económico''. Getafe: Organismo Autónomo Fundación Pública Local Getafe Formación y Empleo. ISBN 84-920628-0-0

Coplaco (2005). ''Getafe''. "Colección Documentos para difusión y debate". Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma): Consejería de Política Territorial. ISBN 84-85584-45-7

Corella Suárez, Pilar Sabela (2005). ''Arquitectura religiosa de los siglos XVII y XVIII en la Provincia de Madrid: estudio y documentación del partido judicial de Getafe''. "Colección Biblioteca de estudios madrileños, 24". Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. ISBN 84-00-04483-5

Fariña Jamardo, José (2001). ''El Getafe del siglo XVIII''. Getafe: Ayuntamiento de Getafe. ISBN 84-500-5102-9

Fidalgo García, Pablo & Martín Espinosa, Agustín (2005). ''Atlas Estadístico de la Comunidad de Madrid 2005''. Instituto de Estadística de la Comunidad de Madrid. ISBN 84-451-2786-1

''Las condiciones de vida de la población pobre de Getafe''. (2001). Madrid: Fundación Fomento de Estudios Sociales y de Sociología Applicada. ISBN 84-89397-23-6

Pingaron Santofimia, Pedro (2004). ''Estudio histórico de Getafe''. Getafe: Ayuntamiento de Getafe. ISBN 84-505-2888-7

Sánchez González, Martín (1989). ''De Alarnes a Getafe''. Getafe: Ayuntamiento de Getafe. ISBN 505-8587-2

External links

Getafe Information, from the website of the Autonomous Community of Madrid Tourist Information, from the Madrid tourism site turismomadrid.es MeteoGetafe.com: Realtime forecast and weather information for Getafe, as well as prior weather information, maps, and weather-related graphics National Institute of Meteorology (Spain) Weather forecasts for the week in Getafe, courtesy of the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) Satellite images of Getafe, from Google Maps

Statistics

Instituto de Estadística de la Comunidad de Madrid > Series estadísticas del municipio

Streets, maps, and aerial photographs

Institute of Statistics of the Community of Madrid

Category:Article Feedback Pilot * Category:Municipalities in Madrid Category:Populated places in Madrid

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Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
playername	Lionel Messi
fullname	Lionel Andrés Messi
dateofbirth	June 24, 1987
cityofbirth	Rosario
countryofbirth	Argentina
height
position	Striker / Winger
currentclub	Barcelona
clubnumber	10
youthyears1	1995–2000
youthyears2	2000–2004
youthclubs1	Newell's Old Boys
youthclubs2	Barcelona
years1	2004–2005
clubs1	Barcelona B
caps1	22
goals1	6
years2	2004–
clubs2	Barcelona
caps2	178
goals2	121
nationalyears1	2005
nationalyears2	2008
nationalyears3	2005–
nationalteam1	Argentina U20
nationalteam2	Argentina U23
nationalteam3	Argentina
nationalcaps1	7
nationalgoals1	6
nationalcaps2	5
nationalgoals2	2
nationalcaps3	60
nationalgoals3	17
medaltemplates	}}

| pcupdate = 13:30, 7 July 2011 (UTC) | ntupdate = 10:17, 17 July 2011 (UTC) }} Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina) is a football player who currently plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team as a striker or winger. Considered one of the best football players of his generation, Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his "successor".

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record-breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona. He surpassed this record again in the 2010–11 season with 53 goals in all competitions.

Messi has won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, scoring in two of those finals, against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011. He was not on the pitch as Barcelona defeated Arsenal in 2006, but received a winners' medal from the tournament. After scoring 12 goals in the 2010–11 Champions League, Messi became only the third player (after Gerd Müller and Jean-Pierre Papin) to top-score in three successive European Champion Clubs' Cup campaigns. However, Messi is the first one to win the Champions League top scorer titles for three consecutive years after Champions League changed its format in 1992.

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

Early life

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883. He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named María Sol. At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The traditional River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition which cost $900 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial. Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin. Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.

Club career

Barcelona

Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against Porto. Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga. This record was broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist. Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."

2005–06 season

On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014. Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005 and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese. Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.

Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea. Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.

2006–07 season

In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches. On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for three months. Messi recuperated from his injury in Argentina, and his return to action came against Racing Santander on 11 February, where he came on as a second-half substitute. On 11 March, ''El Clásico'' saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw, equalising three times, with the final equaliser coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994–95 season) to score a hat-trick in ''El Clásico''. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began finding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games. Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by nearly replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season. On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century. The world's sports press drew comparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona". He ran about the same distance, , beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life." Against RCD Espanyol Messi also scored a goal which was remarkably similar to Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal against England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clear handball, the goal stood.

2007–08 season

During the 2007–08 season, Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. On 19 September he scored once as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3–0 at home in a Champions League match. He scored two goals against Sevilla FC on 22 September and then on 26 September, Messi scored another two goals in a 4–1 victory over Real Zaragoza. Next goal came in 4–1 away win against Levante UD in 29 September 2007. His second Champions League goal of the season came against VfB Stuttgart. On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia.

Messi was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper ''Marca'' had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote. Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers ''El Mundo Deportivo'' and ''Sport'' stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer. Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.

Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury. After coming back from the injury Messi scored his last goal of 2007–08 season against Valencia on 4 May 2008 in a 6–0 win. When the season was over Messi managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competition.

2008–09 season

Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. On 1 October 2008, during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn a 1–0 deficit to a 2–1 victory for Barcelona. The next league game was versus Atlético Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Messi and his good friend Sergio Agüero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as Barça went on to win the match 6–1. Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla scoring a volley from and then dribbling round the goalkeeper and scoring from a tight angle for the other. On 13 December 2008, during the first Clásico of the season, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2–0 win over Real Madrid. He was also named second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points.

Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1. Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal. In the 28th round of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, helping his team to a 6–0 victory over Málaga CF in the process. On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition. On 18 April, Messi notched his 20th league goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Getafe, allowing Barcelona to maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the league table over Real Madrid.

As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930. After scoring each goal, he ran towards the fans and the cameras lifting up his Barcelona jersey and showing another T-shirt that read ''Síndrome X Fràgil'', Catalan for Fragile X Syndrome, to show his support for children who suffer from the affliction. Messi was involved in the build-up to Andrés Iniesta's injury time goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final to send Barcelona through to face Manchester United in the final. He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals. Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year: and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe. This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in the one season, and was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.

2009–10 season

After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola asserted that Messi was probably the best player he had ever seen. On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, running until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €250 million included, making Messi, along with Zlatan Ibrahimović, the highest paid players in La Liga, with earnings of around €9.5 million yearly. Four days later, on 22 September, Messi scored two goals and assisted another in Barça's 4–1 win over Racing Santander in La Liga. He scored his first European goal of the season on 29 September in a 2–0 win over Dynamo Kyiv, and then took his goal tally to six goals in seven games in La Liga with a strike during a 6–1 routing of Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou.

Messi was named winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or on 1 December 2009, beating runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by largest ever margin of 473 to 233. Afterwards, France Football magazine quoted Messi as saying: "I dedicate it to my family. They were always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me."

On 19 December, Messi scored the winner in the final of the 2009 Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, giving the club their sixth title of the year. Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award, beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaká and Andrés Iniesta to the award. This was the first time he had won the award, and he became the first Argentinean to ever receive this honour. On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick in 2010 and his first hat-trick of the season against CD Tenerife in the 0–5 victory, and on 17 January he scored his 100th goal for the club in the 4–0 victory over Sevilla.

Messi then started an impressive run scoring 11 goals in five games. First he scored on the 84th minute against Málaga for a 2–1 win, then he scored two goals against UD Almería in a 2–2 tie. He continued his spree with an impressive week where he scored eight goals; he started by scoring a hat-trick against Valencia CF in a 3–0 home win, then he scored two goals against Stuttgart, in a 4–0 win that secured Barcelona's qualification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and finally he scored another hat-trick against Zaragoza in a 4–2 away win, becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga. He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against Osasuna on 24 March 2010.

On 6 April 2010, for the first time in Messi's career he scored four goals in a single match, netting the lot in a 4–1 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg. This also saw him overtake Rivaldo as Barcelona's all time greatest scorer in the competition. On 10 April, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he netted the first goal in a 2–0 away win against title-rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico. On 1 May, Messi played his 50th game of the season and scored two goals on a 4–1 away win against Villarreal. Just three days later, on 4 May, Messi scored two goals in another 4–1 win at home against Tenerife. Messi scored his 32nd goal of the La Liga season on 8 May, during an away win against Sevilla, and in the final match against Valladolid, he scored two goals in the second half to tie Ronaldo's club record of 34 goals in a single league season, set in 1996–97, and to finish four goals behind the all-time record held by Telmo Zarra. He was named La Liga player of the year for the second year in a row on 3 June 2010.

2010–11 season

On 21 August 2010, Messi scored a hat-trick in his first start of the season in a 4–0 victory over Sevilla FC in the Supercopa de España, helping Barcelona secure their first trophy of the season after a 1–3 first leg loss. He also began his league season with a goal, scoring after just three minutes against Racing Santander on 29 August 2010. He then continued his excellent form into the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Panathinaikos where he scored two goals, assisted another two and also hit the frame of the goal on two separate occasions.

On 19 September 2010, Messi suffered an ankle injury due to an ill-advised tackle by Atlético Madrid defender Tomáš Ujfaluši in the 92nd minute of their Round 3 match at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. At first sight it was feared that Messi suffered a broken ankle that could have kept the star player away from the pitch for a minimum of six months, but MRI performed the next day in Barcelona showed he suffered a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle. Team-mate David Villa stated "the tackle on Messi was brutal" after watching the video of the play and also added that he believed the Atlético defender "didn't go into the tackle to hurt". The incident caused widespread media attention and brought up the debate of equality in protecting all players in the game.

When Messi recovered he scored in a 1–1 tie against RCD Mallorca. He then scored another brace on the UEFA Champions League against København and helped the team to a 2–0 home win. He continued his impressive scoring run with braces against Zaragoza and Sevilla. After a prolific October, he started November scoring on an away 1–1 tie against København and an away 3–1 win against Getafe where he also assisted team-mates David Villa and Pedro Rodríguez. In the next fixture against Villarreal CF, he scored combining with Pedro, which gave Barcelona a 2–1 lead. He scored another goal and Barcelona won 3–1. This was the 7th consecutive match in which Messi scored, breaking his own previous record of 6. He also achieved the feat of scoring 50 goals in the calender year of 2010 with the 1st goal, while with the second goal, he achieved the same feat again, this time considering the goals he scored wearing a Barcelona shirt in 2010. Against Almería he scored his second hat-trick of the season in an impressive 8–0 away win, the second goal was his 100th La Liga goal. He scored on his ninth game in a row (10th including a friendly against Brazil) on a 3–0 away win against Panathinaikos. Messi's goalscoring run ended on 29 November at El Clásico but Barcelona still managed to win 5–0 with Messi assisting Villa twice. The next match day he scored a brace and gave an assist against Osasuna. He followed with another brace against Real Sociedad. In El Derbi, a match Barcelona won 1–5, he assisted teammates Pedro and Villa to score one goal each. His first goal in 2011 came against Deportivo La Coruña with a free kick on a 4–0 away win, where he once again assisted both Pedro and Villa.

Messi won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta. Messi had been nominated for the awards for the fourth consecutive year. Only two days after he won the award he scored his first hat-trick of the year and third of the season against Real Betis. He began the second round of the league with a goal, scoring his second penalty against Racing Santander. After scoring the penalty kick, Messi revealed a message on his undershirt that said, "Happy birthday, mami.". He continued his goalscoring form with a brace against Almería in the Copa del Rey semifinal, and followed it up with another brace less than a week later against Hércules CF. On 5 February, Barcelona broke the record for most consecutive league wins with 16 victories after they defeated Atlético Madrid 3–0 at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to ensure the victory for his side and after the match he stated, "it's an honor to be able to pass a record set by a great like Di Stéfano" and "if the record has been around for so long is because it's very complicated to achieve and we have reached it by defeating a very difficult team who's going through a bad situation, which makes it even more difficult."

After two scoreless games he scored the winner against Athletic Bilbao in which Barcelona won 2–1. The next week he scored the first header of the season against Mallorca on a 3–0 away win. This victory was the equalising a La Liga record set by Basque club Real Sociedad in the 1979–80 campaign with a 19 unbeaten away matches. The record was broken after three days later when Messi scored the only goal on an away victory over Valencia. On 8 March, Messi scored two goals against Arsenal in a UEFA Champions League match at the Camp Nou, helping Barcelona win 3–1 and qualify to the quarter-finals of the competition. After failing to score for a month he scored a brace against Almería; the second goal was his 47th of the season, equalling his club record return of the previous season. He surpassed his record on 12 April 2011 by scoring the winner against Shakhtar Donetsk in a UEFA Champions League game, which put him in the record book as all time top scorer in a single season for Barcelona. He scored his eight goal on El Clásico on a 1–1 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 23 April, Messi scored his 50th goal of the season against Osasuna in a 2–0 home victory which he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals he gave a memorable performance, scoring twice against Real Madrid in a 2–0 win, the second goal (a dribble past several players) being acclaimed as one of the best ever at that stage of the competition. At the Champions League Final at Wembley, Messi scored the eventual game-clinching goal to give Barcelona their third title in six years and fourth overall.

2011–12 season

Messi started the season in the 2011 Spanish Supercup, scoring three goals and giving two assists for a 5–4 aggregate win against Real Madrid. On his next official match he scored again after a weak back pass from Fredy Guarín and gave an assist to Cesc Fàbregas for a 2-0 win against Porto at the UEFA Super Cup. This was the only official competition where he hadn't score before.

International career

In June 2004, he debuted for Argentina, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of a team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. There, he won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe, scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.

He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary at the age of 18. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off on the 65th minute because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had headbutted defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious and Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi returned to the team on 3 September in Argentina's 1–0 World Cup qualifier away defeat to Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short." He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru; after the match Pekerman described Messi as "a jewel".

On 28 March 2009, in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time with Argentina. This match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as the Argentina manager. Argentina won the match 4–0 with Messi opening the scoring.

On 17 November 2010, Messi scored a last-minute goal against South American rivals Brazil after an individual effort to help his team to a 1–0 win in the friendly match, which was held in Doha. This was the first time that he had scored against Brazil at senior level. Messi scored another last-minute goal on 9 February 2011 against Portugal in a penalty kick which he give his side a 2–1 victory in the friendly match, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

2006 World Cup

The injury that kept Messi from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the final match before the World Cup against the Argentine U-20 team for 15 minutes and a friendly match against Angola from the 64th minute. He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitute's bench. In the next match against Serbia and Montenegro, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Messi started in Argentina's following 0–0 draw against the Netherlands. In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled offside with Argentina needing a late goal in extra time to proceed. Coach José Pekerman left Messi on the bench during the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on a penalty shootout.

2007 Copa América

Messi played his first game in the 2007 Copa América on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4–1 in the first game. In this game, he showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.

His second game was against Colombia, in which he won a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1–1. He also played a part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3–1. The final score of the game was 4–2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.

In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score at 0–0. In the 79th minute, he assisted a goal for Javier Mascherano. In the quarter-finals, as Argentina faced Peru, Messi scored the second goal of the game, from a Riquelme pass in a 4–0 win. During the semi-final match against Mexico, Messi scored a lob over Oswaldo Sánchez to see Argentina through to the final with a 3–0 win. Argentina went on to lose 3–0 to Brazil in the final.

2008 Summer Olympics

Having barred Messi from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics, Barcelona agreed to release him after he held talks with newly appointed coach Josep Guardiola. He joined the Argentina squad and scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast. He then scored the opening goal and assisted Ángel di María in the second to help his side to a 2–1 extra-time win against the Netherlands. He also featured in Argentina's match against rivals Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3–0 victory, thus advancing to the final. In the gold medal match, Messi again assisted Di María for the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria.

2010 World Cup

Messi played the entire game on Argentina's opening match in the 2010 World Cup, the 1–0 victory against Nigeria. He had several opportunities to score but was repeatedly denied by Vincent Enyeama. Messi started in Argentina's following 4–1 win against Korea Republic; he participated in all of the goals of his team and helped Gonzalo Higuaín score a hat-trick. On the third and last group stage match Messi captained during Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece, again being the centrepoint of Argentina's play and was voted man of the match.

At the Round of 16 he assisted Carlos Tévez for the first goal in a 3–1 win against Mexico. The referee awarded that goal even though it was a clear offside. The World Cup ended for Argentina with a 4–0 loss against Germany in the quarter-finals.

2011 Copa América

Messi took part in the Copa América in Argentina, where he failed to score a goal but notched three assists. He was selected man-of-the-match in matches against Bolivia (1–1) and Costa Rica (3–0). Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay (1–1 a.e.t.), with Messi scoring as the first penalty taker.

Outside football

Personal life

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup. He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar. In January 2009 he told "Hat Trick Barça", a programme on Canal 33: "I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina. I am relaxed and happy". He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo, at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.

Messi has two cousins also involved in football: Maxi, a winger for Club Olimpia of Paraguay, and Emanuel Biancucchi, who plays as a midfielder for Spain's Girona FC.

Charity

In 2007 Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In an fansite interview, Messi said: “Being a bit famous now gives me the opportunity to help people who really need it, especially children." In response to Messi’s own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation supports Argentine children diagnosed with medical conditions by offering treatment in Spain and covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs. Messi’s foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife.

On 11 March 2010 Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Messi’s UNICEF ambassador activities are aimed at supporting children’s rights. Messi is supported in this by FC Barcelona, who also have a strong association with UNICEF.

Media

He is featured on the front covers of the video games ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2009'' and ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2011'' and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the games. Messi, along with Fernando Torres, is the face of ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2010'', and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer. Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements. In June 2010, Messi also signed a three–year contract with Herbalife which further supports the Leo Messi Foundation.

Career statistics

Club

1 6 14 10 23 34 31 2

Club	Season	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	UEFA Super Cup	!colspan="3"	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="8"	Barcelona		7	|	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	—			—			—			9	1	0
2005–06 FC Barcelona season	2005–06	17	|	3	2	1	0	6	1	1	0	0	0	—			—			25	8	4
2006–07 FC Barcelona season	2006–07	26	|	2	2	2	1	5	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	36	17	3
2007–08 FC Barcelona season	2007–08	28	|	12	3	0	0	9	6	1	—			—			—			40	16	13
2008–09 FC Barcelona season	2008–09	31	|	11	8	6	2	12	9	5	—			—			—			51	38	18
2009–10 FC Barcelona season	2009–10	35	|	10	3	1	0	11	8	0	1	2	0	1	0	1	2	2	0	53	47	11
2010–11 FC Barcelona season	2010–11	33	|	18	7	7	3	13	12	3	2	3	0	—			—			55	53	24
2011–12 FC Barcelona season	2011–12	1	|	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	4	6	4
Career total	!178!!121!!57!!26!!17!!6!!57!!37!!10!!7!!8!!2!!3!!1!!2!!2!!2!!0!!273!!186!!77

International

5 8 10 9 10 10 8

!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists
rowspan=7	'''Argentina	2005	|	0	0
2006	|	2	2
2007	|	6	3
2008	|	2	1
2009	|	3	2
2010	|	2	2
2011	|	2	7
Total!!60!!17!!17

International goals

Under–20

:''Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first.'' 14 June 2005 22 June 2005 24 June 2005 28 June 2005 2 July 2005 2 July 2005

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	De Grolsch Veste>Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands		1–0	2–0	2005 FIFA World Youth Championship>2005 World Youth Championship
2	|	Univé Stadion, Emmen, Netherlands>Emmen, Netherlands		1–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
3	|	Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands		3–1	3–1	2005 World Youth Championship
4	|	Stadion Galgenwaard>Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands		1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
5	|	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands		1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
6	|	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands	Nigeria	2–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship

Under–23

7 August 2008 16 August 2008

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China		1–0	2–1	Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament>2008 Summer Olympics
2	|	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China		1–0	2–1	2008 Summer Olympics

Senior team

1 March 2006 16 June 2006 5 June 2007 5 June 2007 8 July 2007 11 July 2007 16 October 2007 20 November 2007 align=left 4 June 2008 11 October 2008 11 February 2009 28 March 2009 14 November 2009 7 September 2010 17 November 2010 align=left 9 February 2011 align=left 20 June 2011 align=left

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland		2–1	2–3	Exhibition game>Friendly
2	|	Veltins-Arena>WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany		6–0	6–0	2006 FIFA World Cup>2006 World Cup
3	|	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain		2–2	4–3	Friendly
4	|	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain	Algeria	4–2	4–3	Friendly
5	|	Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara>Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela		2–0	4–0	2007 Copa América
6	|	Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela		2–0	3–0	2007 Copa América
7	|	Estadio José Pachencho Romero>José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela		2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2010 World Cup qualification
8	|	Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia	Colombia ||	1–0	1–2	2010 World Cup qualification
9	|	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Mexico	2–0	4–1	Friendly
10	|	Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti>Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina		1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualification
11	|	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France		2–0	2–0	Friendly
12	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Venezuela	1–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualification
13	|	Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain		1–1	1–2	Friendly
14	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Spain	1–0	4–1	Friendly
15	|	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Brazil ||	1–0	1–0	Friendly
16	|	Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland	Portugal ||	2–1	2–1	Friendly
17	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Albania ||	2–0	4–0	Friendly

Awards and honours

Club

;Barcelona

La Liga: 5

:: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Copa del Rey: 1

:: 2008–09

Supercopa de España: 5

:: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

UEFA Champions League: 3

:: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11

UEFA Super Cup: 2

:: 2009, 2011

FIFA Club World Cup: 1

:: 2009

Argentina

FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1

:: 2005

Olympic Gold Medal: 1

:: 2008

Individual

FIFA Ballon d'Or: 1

:: 2010

Ballon d'Or: 1

:: 2009

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1

:: 2009

FIFA Team of the Year: 3

:: 2008, 2009, 2010

U-21 European Footballer of the Year: 1

:: 2007

La Liga Player of the Year: 3

:: 2009, 2010, 2011

La Liga top goalscorer: 1

:: 2010

Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 1

:: 2011

La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 3

:: 2007, 2009, 2010

La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 4

:: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011

European Golden Shoe: 1

:: 2010

UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 3

:: 2009, 2010, 2011

UEFA Best Player in Europe: 1

:: 2011

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 1

:: 2009

UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year: 1

:: 2009

UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 1

:: 2011

UEFA Champions League Final Fans' Man of the Match: 2

:: 2009, 2011

UEFA Team of the Year: 3

:: 2008, 2009, 2010

Footballer of the Year of Argentina: 5

:: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2

:: 2009, 2010

FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 3

:: 2006, 2007, 2008

FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2

:: 2007, 2008

FIFPro World XI: 4

:: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 1

:: 2005

FIFA U-20 World Cup top goalscorer: 1

:: 2005

Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 1

:: 2007

World Soccer Player of the Year: 1

:: 2009

World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 3

:: 2006, 2007, 2008

FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 1

:: 2009

ESM Team of the Year: 5

:: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Onze d'Or: 2

:: 2009, 2010

Bravo Award: 1

:: 2007

Tuttosport Golden Boy: 1

:: 2005

Marca Leyenda: 1

:: 2009

UEFA best goal of the year: 1

:: 2007

References

External links

FC Barcelona profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

Profile at ESPN

FIFA World Cup profile

Official page at Facebook

Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Rosario, Santa Fe Category:Argentine people of Italian descent Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain Category:Argentine footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:La Liga footballers Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Pichichi Trophy winners Category:Argentina international footballers Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2007 Copa América players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2011 Copa América players Category:Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic footballers of Argentina Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Olympic gold medalists for Argentina Category:UNICEF people Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

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Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
name	Alexis Sánchez
fullname	Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez
birth date	December 19, 1988
position	Forward / Winger
currentclub	Barcelona
clubnumber	9
youthyears1	2003–2004 |youthclubs1 Cobreloa
years1	2005–2006 |clubs1 Cobreloa |caps1 47 |goals1 12
years2	2006–2011 |clubs2 Udinese |caps2 95 |goals2 20
years3	2006–2007 |clubs3 → Colo-Colo (loan) |caps3 32 |goals3 5
years4	2007–2008 |clubs4 → River Plate (loan) |caps4 23 |goals4 4
years5	2011– |clubs5 Barcelona |caps5 1 |goals5 1
nationalyears1	2007 |nationalteam1 Chile U20 |nationalcaps1 12 |nationalgoals1 3
nationalyears2	2006– |nationalteam2 Chile |nationalcaps2 41 |nationalgoals2 14
pcupdate	13:55, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	20:54, 15 August 2011 (UTC) }}

Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (Spanish pronunciation: ; born 19 December 1988), is a Chilean footballer who plays as a forward for FC Barcelona and for the Chilean national team.

Sánchez began his career as a youth player for Cobreloa in 2003, aged 15, for then be promoted to the first adult team, two years later. His precocious talent caught the attention of Udinese, team of the Italian Serie A, and signed the 17-year-old for $3 million in May 2006, but was immediately loaned out to Colo-Colo, and then River Plate where he was able to mature in less physically demanding confines than the Italian first division.

He joined Udinese after becoming champion of the Argentina and Chilean leagues in June 2008. Sánchez made a steady progress in his first two seasons at Udinese, and in the 2010-11 season he established himself as one of the key player's that allowed Udinese to finish fourth in Serie A. On 27 February 2011, Sánchez scored four of seven goals as his team defeated Palermo 7-0, playing only the first 52 minutes of the game. This event meant he broke the record of goals scored by a Chilean player (in a single match) in the Italian Serie A, thus beating the records set by his historic countrymen Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano.

Alexis made his international debut for his national team against Sweden in 2006 and scored his first goal against Switzerland in a 2–1 loss, being also the first goal of the Marcelo Bielsa era. During the period of Bielsa, he was the top-scorer of Chile with 14 goals surpassing to Humberto Suazo with 11 goals.

Early life

Born in Tocopilla, to a family of fishermen, Alexis quickly learned that his life would not be easy. His biological father abandoned Alexis and his family to go work in a mine, leaving Alexis to help his family out financially from an early age.

Acording to his relatives and his closest friends, Alexis was an extroverted boy at school. Alexis washed cars in a graveyard to earn some money, but clearly the dream of Alexis was to be a footballer. His fanaticism for football was shared with all his family, especially with José Delaigue, his uncle-in law and adoptive father. Being a former amateur footballer, Delaigue saw great potential in the young Alexis.

At the age of 15 while playing football with his friends in the neighborhood, he impressed the mayor of Tocopilla, who awarded him his first football boots. The mayor's decision was a worthwhile one, while playing for Tocopilla in a regional tournament, Sánchez dominated, in one particular match he scored 8 goals.

Club career

Early career

Alexis joined Cobreloa in 2004 and eventually made his first-team debut one year later at the age of 16 on 12 February 2005 in a 5–4 win against Deportes Temuco. In his second professional game, he set a Copa Libertadores record by becoming the youngest player to debut in the South American Club Championship. In the next season, Sánchez concentrated on his goal scoring for the Torneo Apertura 2006, netting six goals in 12 appearances. On 21 July, Cobreloa sold Sánchez to the Italian side Udinese for $3 million.

In July 2006, he was loaned to one of Chile's biggest teams, Colo-Colo on a season-long deal. His loan was due to a maturation project that Udinese implemented with youth players. After a notable season in the Cacique, and winning two league titles, it was assumed that Sánchez would return to Italy. He was loaned out again, however, this time to Argentina's River Plate.

Early seasons at Italy

After a successful season in Argentina, in July 2008, Sánchez left South America to officially join Udinese, where he would suit up with Chilean compatriot Mauricio Isla. Sánchez made his non-competitive debut in a 3–0 win over Bassano and was named the man of match. On 14 September, he played his first game in Serie A in a 1–0 loss with Juventus and four days later, he made his Europe debut against Borussia Dortmund. On 19 October 2008, Sánchez scored his first league goal against Lecce. After this first goal, Sánchez got into a minor slump, in which he took much criticism. The criticism ended after scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute against Bologna in a 1–0 win, being named the man of match.

In the following season, Sánchez played an important role for Udinese at Coppa Italia 2009–10, being a key player in the team that eliminated AC Milan, assisting Gökhan Inler for the winning goal. In the semi-final second leg, Sánchez was the man of match after playing a successful game against Roma, including scoring his first Coppa Italia goal in the 81st minute. It was not enough, however, as the aggregate score was 2–1 in favor of Roma. By the end of this year, Sánchez scored a total of five goals (four at the end of tournament) in 32 appearances.

Udinese

After participating for Chile in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Sánchez began to live an intense process of adaptation that consecrated him in Udinese with very good performances for the club, because of this, Sánchez has also attracted the interest from clubs such as Manchester United, Zenit St. Petersburg, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea,

On 27 February 2011, Sánchez scored four of seven goals as his team defeated Palermo 7-0, playing only the first 52 minutes of the game. This event meant he broke the record of goals scored by a Chilean player (in a single match) in the Italian Serie A, thus beating the records set by his historic countrymen Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano.

During his successful season at Udinese Calcio, Sánchez and Italian striker Antonio Di Natale became one of the best scoring duos in Serie A tallying 39 goals between then, two goals short of the Del Piero–Trezeguet duo that completed 41 goals in the 2007–08 season. In recognition of his achievements he has been named the world's most promising youngster of the 2011 season, by the viewer of ''FIFA.com'', which the viewer had to choose between Sánchez, Gareth Bale, Javier Pastore and Ganso in that poll. Sánchez ranked 56th in May 2011 edition of Castrol Performance Index and 24th among the forwards.

Barcelona

On 20 July 2011, FC Barcelona confirmed they had agreed a €26m fee (plus certain bonuses) with Udinese for the transfer of Sánchez,thus becoming the first Chilean to ever play for the club. "Sánchez is very young," said manager Josep Guardiola. "He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he's direct and from what I've been told, he's a very nice kid." The transfer was finalised five days later when he passed a medical and signed a five-year contract. "I want to learn from players like Messi and Xavi - and I want to help the club win more titles," said Sánchez.He made his debut against arch rivals Real Madrid. After the game he got positive comments from his team mates. He made his first goal in his first match in La Liga versus Villarreal C.F., the final result was 5-0.

International career

Alexis made his international debut for his national team against New Zealand on 27 April 2006. He was called up by the coach José Sulantay for play with his country in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup celebrated in Canada, achieving an historic performance, finishing in third place of the tournament.

After his participation in the youth championship, he scored his first goal in the Marcelo Bielsa era in a 2–1 loss against Switzerland on 7 September 2007. Due to the three-months injury that he suffered playing for River Plate, Sánchez missed the first four games of the FIFA World Cup qualification. Fully recovered now, he led to Chile to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, becoming the team's star player. His best game during the qualifiers was in a 4–0 win over Bolivia, scoring two goals of the victory. However, in the maximum global competition, he had a regular performance, but Alexis continued to be the favorite of the fans.

Prior to the 2011 Copa América, Sánchez has scored 2 goals in 4 games, those goals were scored against Uruguay and Estonia. On 29 June 2011, he was selected in the 23-man squad that will represent to Chile in the Copa América celebrated in Argentina.

International goals

Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria 4 June 2008 4 June 2008 11 February 2009 28 March 2009 10 June 2009 10 June 2009 12 August 2009 26 May 2010 26 May 2010 30 May 2010 17 November 2010 19 June 2011 8 July 2011

Sánchez – goals for Chile
# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
align="center"	1.	7 September 2007	|		1–1	2–1	Exhibition_game#Association_football>Friendly match
align="center"	2.	|	Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua, Chile		1–0	2–0	Friendly match
align="center"	3.	|	Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua, Chile	Guatemala	2–0	2–0	Friendly match
align="center"	4.	|	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa		0–2	0–2	Friendly match
align="center"	5.	|	Estadio Monumental "U", Lima, Peru		0–1	1–3	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
align="center"	6.	|	Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago de Chile>Santiago, Chile		3–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
align="center"	7.	|	Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago, Chile	Bolivia	4–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
align="center"	8.	|	Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark		1–2	1–2	Friendly match
align="center"	9.	|	Estadio Municipal de Calama, Calama, Chile>Calama, Chile		1–0	3–0	Friendly match
align="center"	10.	|	Estadio Municipal de Calama, Calama, Chile	Zambia	2–0	3–0	Friendly match
align="center"	11.	|	Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile>Concepción, Chile		2–0	3–0	Friendly match
align="center"	12.	|	Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile		1–0	2–0	Friendly match
align="center"	13.	| Estadio Monumental, Santiago, Chile ||		4–0	4–0	Exhibition game>Friendly match
align="center"	14.	|	Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina>Mendoza, Argentina		1–1	1–1	2011 Copa América

Career statistics

Club

3 9 4 1 4 3 5 12 1

Club	Season	League	Cup	!colspan="2"	!colspan="2"	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="3"	Cobreloa		35	|	–		3	0	–		38	3
Chilean Primera División	2006	12	|	–		–		–		12	9
!Total	!47!!12!!colspan="2"
rowspan="3"	Colo-Colo		18	|	–		9	1	–		27	5
2007 Chilean Primera División season	2007	14	|	–		7	3	–		21	4
!Total	!32!!5!!colspan="2"
rowspan="2"	River Plate		23	|	–		8	0	–		31	4
!Total	!23!!4!!colspan="2"
rowspan="4"	Udinese		32	|	2	0	9	0	–		43	3
2009–10 Serie A	2009–10	32	|	4	1	–		–		36	6
2010–11 Serie A	2010–11	31	|	2	0	–		–		33	12
!Total	–!!112!!21
rowspan="2"	Barcelona		1	|	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	1
!Total	!1!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!2!!0!!3!!1
Career total	!198!!42!!8!!1!!36!!4!!2!!0!!244!!47

¹Includes continental competitive competitions, including the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and UEFA Champions League. ²Includes other competitive competitions, including the FIFA Club World Cup, Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup.

''Statistics accurate as of match played 14 August 2011''

National team

|- |2006||5||0 |- |2007||4||1 |- |2008||9||2 |- |2009||9||5 |- |2010||7||4 |- |2011||8||2 |- !Total||42||14 |}

Honours

Club

; Colo-Colo

Chilean Primera División (2): 2006 Clausura, 2007 Apertura

Copa Sudamericana (1): Runner-up 2006

; River Plate

Primera División de Argentina (1): 2008 Clausura

; Barcelona

Supercopa de España (1): 2011

UEFA Super Cup (1): 2011

International

FIFA U-20 World Cup (1): Third place 2007

Individual

Serie A Player of the Month (1): February 2011

Serie A Footballer of the Year (1): 2010–11

Personal life

The adoptive father of Alexis, José Delaigue, died of a heart attack in June 2011 at age 75 when Sánchez was 22. On 19 June of that year, in Chile's 4-0 win over Estonia, on his team's last goal that Alexis scored he removed his jersey during his celebration to reveal a photo on his undershirt of his adoptive father, in tribute of the late man.

References

External links

FC Barcelona profile

Transfermarkt profile

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tocopilla Category:Chilean footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Chilean Primera División players Category:Cobreloa footballers Category:CSD Colo-Colo players Category:Serie A footballers Category:Udinese Calcio players Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:River Plate footballers Category:La Liga footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Chile international footballers Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2011 Copa América players Category:Chilean expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate footballers in Argentina Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

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Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
playername	Andrés Iniesta
fullname	Andrés Iniesta Luján
dateofbirth	May 11, 1984
cityofbirth	Fuentealbilla
countryofbirth	Spain
height
position	Midfielder / Winger
currentclub	Barcelona
clubnumber	8
youthyears1	1994–1996
youthyears2	1996–2001
youthclubs1	Albacete
youthclubs2	Barcelona
years1	2001–2003
years2	2002–
clubs1	Barcelona B
clubs2	Barcelona
caps1	54
caps2	245
goals1	5
goals2	25
nationalyears1	2000–2001
nationalyears2	2000–2001
nationalyears3	2001–2002
nationalyears4	2001–2002
nationalyears5	2001–2002
nationalyears6	2003–2004
nationalyears7	2003–2006
nationalyears8	2006–
nationalyears9	2004–
nationalteam1	Spain U15
nationalteam2	Spain U16
nationalteam3	Spain U17
nationalteam4	Spain U18
nationalteam5	Spain U19
nationalteam6	Spain U20
nationalteam7	Spain U21
nationalteam8	Spain
nationalteam9	Catalonia
nationalcaps1	2
nationalcaps2	7
nationalcaps3	4
nationalcaps4	1
nationalcaps5	7
nationalcaps6	7
nationalcaps7	18
nationalcaps8	58
nationalcaps9	1
nationalgoals1	0
nationalgoals2	1
nationalgoals3	0
nationalgoals4	0
nationalgoals5	1
nationalgoals6	3
nationalgoals7	6
nationalgoals8	9
nationalgoals9	0
pcupdate	30 August 2011
ntupdate	11 June 2011 }}

Andrés Iniesta Luján (; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.

Iniesta came through ''La Masia'', the Barcelona youth academy, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut in 2002, aged 18. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season, and has remained in the side ever since. He was an integral part of the sextuple-winning Barcelona side in 2009, the only time which a club has achieved six titles in a year.

Iniesta played for Spain at Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, before making his international debut in 2006. He was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing one game, as Spain went out in the second round. He helped Spain qualify for Euro 2008, and played an important role in the side as they went on to win the competition, playing every game and being selected in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was a key member of the victorious Spanish side; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, also being named Man of the Match, and was selected in the tournament's All-Star Team. He was also the Man of the Match for two other World Cup games.

Club career

Early career

Iniesta comes from a small village named Fuentealbilla in the province of Albacete, Castile-La Mancha. At the age of 12, while playing for Albacete in a junior seven-a-side tournament in Brunete, he attracted the attention of scouts from many clubs around Spain. His parents knew the FC Barcelona youth team coach, Enrique Orizaola, and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy. Iniesta travelled there with his parents and visited ''La Masia'', the Spanish farmhouse where the team house their young players; the trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks. Iniesta says he "cried rivers" the day he left for ''La Masia'' and struggled being separated from his parents; he was very shy and kept to himself while there.

He captained the Barcelona Under-15 team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final, and being named player of the tournament. The trophy was presented by one of Iniesta's idols: the then first-team captain Josep Guardiola, whose poster hung above Iniesta's bed. Guardiola gave Iniesta a signed photograph dedicated to "the best player I've ever seen", and it was around this time that he reportedly said to Barcelona midfielder and then-rising star Xavi that, "You will retire me, but Iniesta will retire us both." As a manager, Guardiola would make Xavi and Iniesta the heart of his treble-winning Barcelona side of 2009, a decade after his famous prediction.

Iniesta rose through the club's youth teams and, by the age of 16, was already the key player for FC Barcelona B. Barcelona manager Louis van Gaal handed Iniesta his senior first-team debut in October 2002, in a UEFA Champions League group game against Standard Liège. He appeared ten times in the 2003–04 league, starting in five of the games and scoring once as Barcelona finished second behind Valencia CF.

2004–2008

In the 2004–05 season Iniesta featured in 37 out of 38 league games—more than any other player—although 25 of these were substitute appearances. He scored twice as Barcelona won La Liga. An injury to fellow midfielder Xavi at the start of the 2005–06 season allowed Iniesta more regular starts in the centre of midfield, and he continued to improve and develop. He played in 11 Champions League games, including a half-time appearance in the 2006 final to replace the injured Edmilson. His contribution to the team was praised by manager Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona won a league and Champions League double.

The 2006–07 season saw Iniesta's profile continue to rise and earned plaudits for his willingness to play in any position for his team. On 22 August 2006, Iniesta lifted the Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after defeating German side Bayern Munich 4–0. He played for the first time as a left wing-forward for Barcelona in two Champions League matches against Levski Sofia, finding the net twice. In the first knock out stage of the same competition, he played at central midfield against Liverpool. Despite being moved around the pitch by manager Rijkaard, the 2006–07 season remains Iniesta's highest scoring thus far.

With the departure of Ludovic Giuly over the summer break, Iniesta was able to switch his number 24 shirt for his preferred number 8. On 19 July 2007, the Spanish newspaper ''Marca'' linked Iniesta with a move to rivals Real Madrid, who were willing to pay his €60 million release clause. Iniesta responded the same day to deny the rumours, saying: "I’ve been told about that and I’m very surprised. I can’t do anything about it but I’d like to insist once again that I want to stay here. When I say I want to retire in Barça, I say it with all my heart. And my wishes are above everything else." On 25 January 2008, Iniesta extended his contract to 2014, with his buy-out clause being raised to €150 million.

According to the Spanish football magazine ''Don Balón'', a member of European Sports Magazines, Iniesta has been one of the most consistent performers in the last two seasons of Primera Division, placing fifth in 2006–07, and fourth in 2007–08 on their annual rating system Ranking ''Don Balón''. He also placed 9th in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting, gaining 37 total points. Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Xavi also featured in the top ten.

2008–09

In September 2008, after the departure of former vice-captain Ronaldinho to A.C. Milan, the Barcelona squad decided on its new team captains. Iniesta was named fourth-choice behind, in order of preference, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Víctor Valdés; all four were products of the Barcelona youth system. In mid-November 2008, Iniesta suffered a leg injury and was expected to return to action in six weeks. Iniesta, however, did not want to come back until he was 100 percent and finally returned to action on 3 January 2009 as a 65th minute substitute against Mallorca. After only 10 minutes he scored a crucial goal and completed a Barcelona comeback in front of the Camp Nou. His performances in the 2008–09 season have been highly lauded, receiving standing ovations both in Barcelona at the Camp Nou, as well as from rival supporters in away matches.

On 5 February, Iniesta made his 250th appearance for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey match against Mallorca. Iniesta once again got injured in Barcelona's home match against Málaga, but returned to action for the first leg Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich, which Barcelona won 4–0.

Former teammate Samuel Eto'o described Iniesta as being "the best player in the world; whenever Iniesta is on the pitch, he creates a spectacle."

Iniesta scored a vital equaliser from outside the penalty area in the final minute of stoppage time during the second-leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, securing the tie on away goals as the match finished 1–1. In his diary of the season, ''Un Any Al Paradis'', he wrote "I connected with that shot with the outside, not the inside or the tip of my boot, but right from my heart, with all my might."

This goal sent Barcelona through to the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome against defending champions Manchester United. Prior to the final, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said: "I'm not obsessed with Messi, Iniesta is the danger. He's fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible. He's so important for Barcelona." Despite a thigh injury, Iniesta played and was influential in the game, providing the assist for the first goal scored by Samuel Eto'o as his team went on to win 2–0; in his analysis, David Pleat wrote, "In the end the midfield artistry of Iniesta and Xavi, helped by Messi, was the critical factor". After the game, Wayne Rooney described Iniesta as the best player in the world.

''Don Balón'' rated him as the most consistent performer in the 2008–09 La Liga season, ahead of team-mates Xavi and Lionel Messi.

2009–10

On 18 October, Iniesta was included in a list of 30 candidates for the prestigious Ballon d'Or, given to the top player of the year in Europe, along with teammates Xavi, Thierry Henry, Yaya Touré, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi and ex-teammate and current Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o. Andrés was one of five nominations for the World Player of the Year award alongside teammates Lionel Messi, and Xavi Hernandez. Proud of the nomination, he commented that "the fans of the team who have always been there to support our team-mates also deserve to be recognised". The ceremony was held in Zürich and teammate Lionel Messi took home the award. Iniesta placed fifth with 134 votes. He scored his first goal for the season against Racing Santander in a 4–0 win. Iniesta's 2009–10 season was largely disrupted by recurrent injuries. He missed pre-season fitness training due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League final and this meant that despite featuring in almost as many matches as the previous season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20 games throughout. Nevetheless, Barcelona once again won the La Liga title securing a record 99 points. His season came to an end after he aggravated a previous calf injury during training.

On 27 November 2009, he made a one-year extension to his Barcelona contract which now runs until 2015; his buy-out clause was raised again from €150 million to €200 million.

2010–11

After being given extended rest by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque following the World Cup, Iniesta returned to Barcelona for a pre-season medical on 9 August 2010. Speaking to FC Barcelona's website, he said of the message dedicated to Daniel Jarque revealed during his goal celebration in the World Cup final: "I did it because I felt it deeply. It showed that what is more important than rivalry, your team or your colours is to be human and a good person. I am delighted because it was the most important moment in my career." Asked about the recurrent injuries that plagued his 2009–10 season, he said: "It was hard, but I will start with more desire than ever."

Iniesta scored his first goal of the season for Barcelona during the opening La Liga fixture against Racing Santander, lobbing the ball into the net from a distance of 30 yards. He received standing ovations from home fans at El Sardinero and the Vicente Calderón in appreciation of his World Cup-winning exploits whilst with the Spanish national team. He also had a standing ovation in the home pitch of RCD Espanyol in El Derbi, with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with Daniel Jarque. Barcelona won the match 1–5.

He was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, alongside Barcelona teammates Xavi and Messi, but came second as Messi won the award.

2011-12

Andrés started the 2011–12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of Spanish Supercup against rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona went on to win the match 3-2 and the cup on agg. 5-4.

International career

Iniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001, helping Spain win the UEFA European Under-16 Championship, and was in the squad that claimed the UEFA European Under-19 Championship the following year. Since then, he became a regular choice for the then youth coach Juan Santisteban. In 2003 he formed part of the Spanish side that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship final in the United Arab Emirates, and was named in the FIFA all-star team. During his spell with the Spain U21s side, Iniesta was named captain on several occasions.

Originally a fringe player, he was called up to represent Spain at the World Cup 2006 on 15 May 2006, much to the surprise of many. Iniesta won his first cap for Spain when he was brought on at half-time in a friendly against Russia on 27 May 2006.

He scored his first goal for Spain in a friendly against England on 7 February 2007. His long range effort, hitting the underside of the crossbar on the way in, gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes. Iniesta proceeded to play a pivotal part in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008 by scoring goals against the likes of Sweden and by assisting the strikers. Iniesta usually played in the middle of the pitch, but he was also trusted with roles further up the pitch when Spain was away from home, most notably in the game against Denmark where he was given an advanced left wing position.

Iniesta was selected in Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Though a stomach virus somewhat hampered his performances in the group stages, he still played an integral part in the midfield. He played in the first two of Spain's group stage matches and proved an important part of the team providing a particularly notable pass for David Villa's second goal against Russia. He was not rested, unlike most of Spain's regulars, for the final group game against Greece (which Spain won 2–1 thanks to a fantastic volley from Rubén de la Red and a late winner from Daniel Güiza), and returned for the quarter final as Spain beat Italy on Penalties. Iniesta was substituted before the penalty shoot out itself. In the semi-final against Russia he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a quality cross which Xavi converted to open the scoring. The Technical Study Group named him the Man of the Match. He played the full duration of the final in Spain's 1–0 win over Germany. Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi and Marcos Senna and 6 other teammates.

Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury.

He was called for the 2010 World Cup, and scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against Chile. He was also named man of the match. For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award. During the 2010 World Cup Iniesta dived which resulted in Heitinga getting a second yellow and being sent off. He scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final In a 1-0 win against Netherlands in the 116th minute, removing his jersey during his celebration to reveal an inscription on his undershirt reading "Dani Jarque: siempre con nosotros", which translates to "Dani Jarque: always with us," in tribute of former Spain youth teammate and RCD Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque, who passed away of a heart attack in August 2009. He won the man of the match award for his performance which sent Spain to their first ever World Cup win.

''Europa Press'' reported that Iniesta was the most popular Spanish sportsman on the internet throughout 2010. The study performed by company Vipnet360 examined the web presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Iniesta was followed by Iker Casillas, David Villa, Rafael Nadal, and Fernando Alonso rounding the top 5.

Style of play

Like fellow ''La Masia'' graduate Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder but his balance, ball control and agility allied with his skill on the ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by FC Barcelona's scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18. Vicente del Bosque described him as "the complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores," and Frank Rijkaard said "I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent." He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of Juan Roman Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi, at both club and international level. As FIFA.com says, "It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions. Iniesta is a player known for his passing, dribbling, vision and movement." Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta relies on exceptional creative passing, intuition and inventiveness to control the midfield and dictate the ebb and flow of play. Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst saying "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is". During his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation for playing a part in important goals for club and country, specifically playing a leading role in the 2006, 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final and 2008–09 UEFA Champions League and Euro 2008 semi-finals.

His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet ''El Ilusionista'' (The Illusionist), ''El Cerebro'' (The Brain), ''El Anti-Galáctico'' (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname ''Los Galácticos''), ''El Caballero Pálido'' (The Pale Knight) and most recently ''Don Andrés'' from the Spanish press.

Personal life

Since 2008, Iniesta has dated Anna Ortiz, and in September 2010 he confirmed that she was pregnant with his child. On April 3, 2011 she gave birth to their daughter Valeria.

Career statistics

0 2 3 colspan="2" 0 1 2 0 6 3 4 1 8 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	!colspan="2"	Other	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals
rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"	Barcelona B	!colspan="2"	10	|	–		–		–		10	0
!colspan="2"	2001–02	30	|	–		–		–		30	2
!colspan="2"	2002–03	14	|	–		–		–		14	3
!colspan="2"	Total	–	–||	–		54!!5
rowspan="11" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"	Barcelona	!colspan="2"	6	|	0	0	3	0	–		9	0
!colspan="2"	2003–04	11	|	3	1	3	0	–		17	2
!colspan="2"	2004–05	37	|	1	0	8	0	–		46	2
!colspan="2"	2005–06	33	|	4	0	11	1	1	0	49	1
!colspan="2"	2006–07	37	|	6	1	8	2	5	0	56	9
!colspan="2"	2007–08	31	|	7	0	11	1	–		49	4
!colspan="2"	2008–09	26	|	6	0	11	1	–		43	5
!colspan="2"	2009–10	29	|	3	0	9	0	1	0	42	1
!colspan="2"	2010–11	34	|	5	0	10	1	1	0	50	9
!colspan="2"	2011–12	1	|	0	0	0	0	2	1	3	1
Total	!245!!25!!35!!2!!74!!6!!10!!1!!364!!34
Career totals		!299!!30!!35!!2!!74!!6!!10!!1!!418!!39

International goals

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first. |- | 1. || 7 February 2007 || Old Trafford, Manchester, England || || 1 – 0 || 1–0 || International Friendly |- | 2. || 28 March 2007 || ONO Estadi, Palma de Mallorca, Spain || || 1 – 0 || 1–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |- | 3. || 2 June 2007 || Skonto stadions, Riga, Latvia || || 2 – 0 || 2–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |- | 4. || 8 September 2007 || Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland || || 1 – 0 || 1–1 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |- | 5. || 17 November 2007 || Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain || || 2 – 0 || 3–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |- | 6. || 15 October 2008 || King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium || || 1 – 1 || 2–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 7. || 25 June 2010 || Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa || || 2 – 0 || 2–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup |- | 8. || 11 July 2010 || Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa || || 1 – 0 || 1–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup Final |- | 9. || 12 October 2010 || Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland || || 2 – 0 || 3–2 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |}

Honours

Barcelona

Spanish League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Spanish Cup: 2008–09

Spanish Supercup: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11

UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011

FIFA Club World Cup: 2009

Spain

FIFA World Cup 2010

UEFA European Championship 2008

UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship 2002

UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship 2001

Individual

Euro 2008 Team of the tournament

Euro 2008 Man Of The Match Vs Russia

Don Balón Award for Best Spanish Player of the Year: 2009

Trofeo Alfredo di Stéfano: 2^nd best player in La Liga 2008–09

FIFPro World XI: 2009, 2010

La Liga's Best Attacking Midfielder: 2009

UEFA Team of the Year: 2009, 2010

Ballon d'Or: 4th Place 2009

2010 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team

2010 FIFA World Cup Man Of The Match vs. Chile, Paraguay and Netherlands

Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010

FIFA Ballon d'Or: Second place 2010

FIFA Puskás Award: Second place 2009

Onze d'Or: Third place 2009, Second place 2010

UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: Forth place 2011

ESM Team of the Year: 2011

References

External links

FC Barcelona profile

Andrés Iniesta's official website

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

National team data

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:People from Albacete (province) Category:Spanish footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:La Liga footballers Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Spain youth international footballers Category:Spain under-21 international footballers Category:Spain international footballers Category:Catalan XI guest footballers Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players

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